My journey in UPM (Part #1)

Given a second chance, I would do it all over again but....

 

This is the story of my journey through UPM, as a PhD student; a journey that has shaped my life in ways I never imagined possible. In July 2009, I arrived at UPM as a new PhD student of the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology.  Shortly afterwards, I enrolled in  a few courses at the same faculty and later at the faculty of Forestry, related to my research. I was exposed to entirely new horizons in the course of my lectures; I enjoyed the style of lectures, and made friends with students from very culturally diverse backgrounds.

By the 2nd semester, I had completed the required courses for the award of a PhD at UPM, and in addition I had presented at conferences in Malaysia, Thailand and China. I was also fortunate to have published several articles in journals and local bulletins. Naturally, because a doctoral degree is the highest academic qualification from a university, expectations from a graduate are generally through the roof, hence I went on to enhance my soft skills beyond what was learnt in the classroom; I attended trainings and workshops that were conducted in UPM and even outside Malaysia, which I thought would come in handy during the course of my study and my future career.  

My PhD research was not to begin until the 3rd semester of enrolment at UPM. Aside from the usual challenges of pursuing a doctoral degree, I was faced with an even bigger challenge; no one in the faculty had done a doctoral dissertation in the area I was doing mine. This was particularly challenging and motivating at the same time.  For me, being a PhD student meant being a self learner, who needed independence, determination, and creativity. As it would turn out, my unique challenge pushed me beyond limits that I thought I couldn’t exceed.

My daily routines included working with large data sets, creating computer programs, running experiments and writing progress reports, all with enthusiasm, patience, and the belief that a day would come when my efforts would result in fruitful yields. Eventually, my dissertation writing started in May 2012 and I submitted it for examination in September of the same year. Preparing and presenting progress reports to all supervisor committee at least twice in a semester were helpful especially in completing my dissertation writing on time and presenting my research results in the viva.

Thanks to friends Kankou Komara and Mustapha Umar Imam for proofreading :)